Why Was Satluj Removed From ZEE5? Diljit Dosanjh's Film Taken Down Within 48 Hours Of Release

After waiting more than three years for its release, Diljit Dosanjh's highly acclaimed film Satluj finally made its streaming debut. However, fans' excitement was short-lived as it was taken down within 48 hours.

The movie Satluj premiered on Zee5, the official streaming partner, on July 3rd, and it was pulled down on the evening of July 5th with a notice saying it was "unavailable until further notice."

Many fans reported that they were halfway through the movie when it stopped abruptly. The makers, however, have not given any exact declaration regarding the same.

What is The Satluj Movie based on?

It's based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and covers a dark period in Punjab's history, which is mainly remembered for extrajudicial killings.

Khalra investigated these illegal killings and secret cremations during and after Punjab's militancy period, brought international attention to it, and then disappeared himself in 1995. Diljit Dosanjh plays Khalra in the movie.

Why was the Satluj movie removed?

ZEE5 hasn't given any exact reason. Their official statement was that "Satluj has been paused in India due to current developments," that they're exploring legal avenues to bring it back, and that they are fully aligned with the film's creative vision.

Even before its release, the movie faced a lot of troubles in securing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during its submission in 2022. Reportedly the movies suffered 120 cuts from the original version.

It was also scheduled to premiere at TIFF in 2023, but that screening was cancelled after Indian authorities reportedly raised objections.

That said, the film's sensitive subject matter may have caused external objections after release, which put ZEE5 into a legal and compliance review.

During Instagram Live, Diljit said the original title Punjab '95 couldn't be kept "for certain reasons," but he also said that there were absolutely no cuts. The version he watched in theaters two years earlier was identical to what streamed at ZEE5.
He also said that he feared the film could be taken down and even joked it might not stay online past Monday, asking fans to download it while they could.